(Phnom Penh): Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, Spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence, firmly rejected Thailand’s accusation that Cambodia fired BM21 rockets at the Ta Moan Temple, calling it a baseless and malicious allegation.
Maly Socheata spoke on Sunday (Jul. 27) during a press conference.
“A moment ago, the official Facebook page of the Thai Army Ground Forces posted that Cambodia had fired BM21 rockets at Ta Moan Temple. In truth, Ta Moan Temple is an ancient structure built by Khmer ancestors and legally belongs to Cambodia. It is located in Oddar Meanchey Province within Cambodian sovereign territory according to lawful maps. There is no reason whatsoever for Cambodia to destroy its own heritage site. The only side that benefits from such destruction is Thailand, whose actions are clearly driven by malicious intent," the spokesperson underscored.
On 27 July 2025, at 02:00a.m., Thai forces shelled Veal Intry location; by 02:30a.m., they expanded the bombardment to Ta Thao, Phnom 333, and Phnom Kmoch; and at 04:50a.m., additional shelling struck Ta Moan Thom and Ta Krabei. At 06:00a.m., Thai ground troops invaded Phnom Kmoch, An Ses, and Veal Intry location, followed by a large-scale incursion at 06:30a.m. involving tanks and ground troops into multiple areas, including Veal Intry, 5 Makara, Phnom Kmoch, and An Ses.
These deliberate and coordinated acts of aggression occurred despite ongoing efforts led by President Donald Trump to broker a ceasefire—efforts that were publicly and unequivocally supported by Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Thailand’s continued violations of Cambodia’s sovereignty, its aggressive military operations, and its blatant disregard for international norms constitute one of the gravest threats to the rules-based international order and to peace and stability not only along the Cambodia-Thailand border but across the entire region. Such actions undermine all efforts toward peaceful resolution and expose Thailand’s clear intent to escalate rather than de-escalate the conflict.
Cambodia calls upon the Royal Thai Army to immediately cease its lies and stop using false pretexts to justify its illegal invasion. The international community must hold Thailand fully accountable for its crimes and demand an end to all hostilities. Cambodia reiterates its firm commitment to an immediate ceasefire and to resolving all disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law. At the same time, Cambodia reaffirms its sovereign and inherent right to self-defense, as enshrined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, to protect its territorial integrity, national sovereignty, and the lives of its people against Thailand’s ongoing and unlawful aggression.
=FRESH NEWS
